


I Mark My Allegiance (With A Kiss)

by Pearl09



Series: Of Kisses and Feelings [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drunken Shenanigans, During Canon, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:28:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25824400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl09/pseuds/Pearl09
Summary: After the bookshop's grand opening, Crowley stops by with a bottle of wine to continue the celebrations. Strange, drunken conversations follow.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Of Kisses and Feelings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855207
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30
Collections: Kisses Bingo





	I Mark My Allegiance (With A Kiss)

**Author's Note:**

> Kisses bingo prompt: Ring kiss!  
> The title comes from learning this on Wikipedia: "Kissing the hand, or particularly a ring on the hand was also a gesture of formal submission or pledge of allegiance of man to man, or as a diplomatic gesture."

It was quiet in the bookshop, having settled down after the grand opening party earlier that day. It wasn’t a terribly rambunctious gathering, Aziraphale would say, but there were certainly more people there than he was expecting. He suspected a few people came in for the free snacks from the street when they noticed what was going on.

He hummed along with the gramophone as he cleaned up what little mess they had made, counting the day as an overall success, and excited at the prospect of having his very own place to store his books. No longer would he have to lug his scrolls or signed first editions around, chancing rain damage or worse. They all had their own perfect spot amongst the shelves, and as the years passed, he was happy to expect more to join his collection.

A knock on the door interrupted him, and with a frown, he hurried over. He could see that he had, in fact, turned the sign so it said closed, and yet someone was still calling at this hour. When he opened the door a crack to peek through it, the frown rose to a smile. “Crowley! What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?”

He shrugged, pushing up his sunglasses. “Thought you’d like to celebrate the new place properly. Brought over this bottle of wine. Can I come in?”

“Of course you can. You’re always welcome here.” He left the door open for Crowley to follow him into the shop, turning the gramophone off and settling into his new chair in the back. Crowley lounged across the couch opposite of him, already claiming it as his own.

“Let’s open that wine then, shall we?” Aziraphale said, taking the bottle from Crowley and pouring it into the two glasses in front of him.

Crowley took the one offered to him and used it to gesture around the shop. “So is this a permanent settlement, or do you think this will only last a few years?”

Aziraphale sipped at his wine and let it sit for a while before answering. “A few centuries at least, I hope. I’m not expecting to move from here any time soon. If orders require me elsewhere, then I’ll have this to come back to.”

“That’s funny, didn’t you say something similar in Rome?”

He frowned. “I wasn’t expecting the place to fall. I doubt England will do so any time soon. It’s survived this long.”

Crowley sighed and drained half of his glass in one drink. “I was thinking about getting my own place, too. Nothing as extravagant as this, I don’t need a whole shop. Maybe a flat nearby, so we can still keep an eye on each other.”

“And would this be a more permanent settlement?”

He shrugged. “Can’t be certain. The style comes and goes each decade, it seems, so I might outgrow one. But, I think I’ll at least stick to the area. _Someone_ knows how long that sketch from Leo has been collecting dust.”

“Let me know if you need any help moving in.” He went to take another drink only to find his glass already empty. Frowning, he poured another.

The first bottle was finished off quickly, and Aziraphale pulled a few more bottles out of his stock to keep them going.

“I _hate_ horses,” Crowley said startlingly loud, blinking at himself for a few seconds before lowering his volume. “Humans use them everywhere. Even in the bloody city, they have to use them to pull those carriages of theirs. Why not walk?”

“That’s because you spook them, dear.”

“How? All I do half the time is stand there. ‘N one who finally let me on bucked me off the moment he had a chance.”

“You’re a snake, of course! Horses are afraid of snakes. Or – maybe just some are? Either way, I’m certain if they just spent some time to know you, they would find you lovely.”

“Pfft, I’m not _lovely_ , angel.” He trailed off and sat up to pour more wine, finding his glass on the third try. “Wonder if any of the others can use horses. What about – them four horsemen! How’re they supposed to ride horses?”

“Well they aren’t demonic, are they? They’re supposedly a – a neutral party. A neutral party that doesn’t like either side.” His brow furrowed. “They’re running around there right now like us, aren’t they? Can you imagine what they’re like?”

Crowley shuddered. “I met one, actually. It was – it was… I dunno, the one in charge of making people sick. Ooh, nasty bugger. Avoid them if you can.”

“Right.” Aziraphale leaned over for the bottle, almost knocking it from the table as his hand opened and closed over and over in search of it. “More wine?”

It was getting late, and soon, they would surely be sobering up and parting ways once more, but their confusing and twisting conversation continued on as they fought to make the most of their time.

“Always meant to ask, what’s with the ring?”

“Hmmm? Oh, this?” He raised his hand and flashed his pinky. “Had it for ages.”

“Yeah yeah I know that. Why do you wear it?”

“Mmmm – men said pinky rings were statement rings. So I guess… a statement? What sort of statement can it say, though? It can’t talk…”

“‘S not what they mean by statement, angel.”

“Oh?”

“Statement piece… draws the eye. Catches attention.”

He stared intently at the ring. “Interesting.”

“But that’s not what I meant either! Meant… its purpose. To you.”

“Oh.” Aziraphale nodded in agreement. “Signet ring.”

Crowley sat up suddenly, his wine only not sloshing all over him because he expected it not to leave the glass. “Signet ring? You use that thing for a bloody signature?”

“Where do you think the idea came from, my dear?” He sank further into the chair. “Human saw me using it to seal my – paperwork. Thought it a fantastic idea.”

“I can’t believe that’s all it’s been.”

“What did you think it was?”

“I dunno. Don’t the others have some kind of – marking?”

“Others?”

He gestured vaguely towards the ceiling.

Aziraphale let out a hearty chuckle. “Oh, those don’t show up on earth. Don’t want to frighten the humans, or stand out too much.”

“Huh.”

The silence that followed was cut short by the grandfather clock chiming the hour. “My, is it really that late?” Aziraphale said after counting them. “Perhaps we should sober up, it’s unwise to spend too much time together.”

“Alright.” With a sigh, the alcohol in their bloodstreams vanished, leaving a sour taste in their mouths.

“Thank you for the lovely evening, dear,” Aziraphale said as he stood with Crowley, intent on walking him out the door.

“Any time, angel.” He took a hold of Aziraphale’s hand and pulled it to his face, kissing his ring. He had seen the humans do it, often to give someone their affections, and deemed it appropriate. A devilish smirk sprang across his face as he met the shock on Aziraphale’s, who quickly grew flustered. “See you around,” he called out as he sauntered back to the door, knowing it would take a few moments for Aziraphale to process what just happened, and he wasn’t up to facing that yet. Not when he knew the true meaning behind it.

And if the next time the angels received Aziraphale’s paperwork and detected a hint of demonic energy in the seal, well, he was just busy thwarting Crowley, right?

**Author's Note:**

> Come hang with me on [tumblr!](https://pearlll09.tumblr.com/)


End file.
